IRCC Begins Inviting Potential Parent and Grandparent Sponsors

Immigration, Refugee, Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has begun randomly inviting applicants who had submitted their interest to sponsor their parents and grandparents. IRCC will be issuing 30,000 invitations until October 7^th, 2021.

The Parent and Grandparent Program (PGP) will be operating as a lottery system this year, randomly inviting a total of 40,000 applicants. IRCC had invited 10,000 candidates in January this year and will accept an additional 30,000 applications through the Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship program over the next couple of weeks.

I have been invited in the Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship lottery - how do I apply?

Applicants who receive an invitation to apply will have 60 days to submit a complete application. Potential sponsors can submit these applications electronically through IRCC’s Permanent Residence Digital Intake tool. 

Candidates who have submitted an interest to sponsor form in 2020 but lost their confirmation number or changed their email address, may request a new confirmation number and invitation status via the Lost My Confirmation Number tool. This tool will not be available until after all invitations have gone out.

Who is eligible to sponsor their parents or grandparents?

For an applicant to bring their grandparents to come to Canada, both the sponsor and their parent or grandparent must meet the eligibility requirements set by IRCC.

The sponsor must meet the Minimum Necessary Income (MNI) required for the size of their family unit. To demonstrate this, sponsors must provide Canada Revenue Agency issued notices of assessment for at least three consecutive years.

The sponsor will also be required to sign an undertaking agreement. This document acknowledges a sponsor’s promise to repay social assistance benefits paid to the sponsor and their family member(s) for a period of 20 years. An additional undertaking will need to be signed if the sponsor lives in Quebec. The sponsor must also:

• Be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident living in Canada
• Be at least 18 years of age
• Be the child or grandchild of the person(s) they are sponsoring

Didn’t receive an invitation?

Those that do not receive an invitation after October 7^th may choose to instead apply for a Super Visa for parents and grandparents. The Super Visa is a multiple-entry visitor visa that can be issued for a period of up to 10 years.